


from a to z

by citadis



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 04:25:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15016622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citadis/pseuds/citadis
Summary: Donghyuckreallywants a boyfriend. And Jeno is sick of hearing about it.





	from a to z

**Author's Note:**

> Title from girl front/love cherry motion by loona because they are summer songs... also coincidentally mark says "a to z" in dreaming from chain mini album.
> 
> Just a note ahead... I characterized Mark as very shy in this which I feel like might confuse people. He was really shy and cute in his Dangerous outside the blankets episode, also in a recent interview he mentioned how he was really shy around new people.
> 
> Pretty sparingly edited, I wrote this very quickly in the span of a few days and just wanted to publish it and get it out of my sights if you know what I mean. Also, this is definitely not my finest work, I just wanted to write something fun and summery :D

Donghyuck lazily fanned himself with the newspaper sitting in front of him, and cursed the electric fan for not working for the dozenth time that day. It was sweltering in S.M. Beachwares _,_ the store where Donghyuck worked. A factory store on the main strip of a tourist beach town, it sold a whole assortment of cheap trinkets, towels, and an assortment of t-shirts ware emblazoned with cheesy slogans.

The beachside town was a haven for tourists. The road where the shop was located ran parallel to the beach, and was lined with an assortment of shops, and more motels than one can imagine. A haven for tourists, and hell for the locals employed at all these places. Moms with whiny sunburnt kids, and no shortage of drunk people at any time of day, were the common customers. Not to mention, the fact that it was unbelievably hot at all times.

But, Donghyuck needed the money. So he took up work with S.M. Beachwares for the summer, selling tacky t-shirts on them to willing tourists. It was a fairly small place, so he usually worked by himself for the majority of the time. Which at times was nice, but made the job incredibly boring, given he knew most of his coworkers from school. During the worst days, he would be overjoyed to have anyone to keep him company, including his often cranky manager, Dongyoung.

Donghyuck was thinking about how their shop sold bright, fire truck-red sweatshirts emblazoned with a white cross and the word _LIFEGUARD_ , free for anyone to buy. He was certain that most of the people who bought those sweaters were not, in fact, qualified to be lifeguards. It all seemed a tad dangerous to him.

He was bored out of his mind, and hot. A prime form of entertainment on this kind of day was watching as passersby walked into the store, hoping for air conditioning as a reprieve for the heat, and the disappointed look on their face when the store was just as balmy as outside was. They would, of course, get that reprieve when he sold them a cool water bottle or popsicle.

Prime entertainment, indeed.

He was about halfway through his six-hour closing shift, during one of the busiest weeks of the summer. Donghyuck was certain he had already sweat out all the water he had drank since the start of his shift, and his makeshift newspaper fan was not doing anything. He was about to get up and stick his head in the popsicle freezer, as he does every half hour when the heat becomes unbearable, when he heard the bell rind on the door, signalling someone came inside. Donghyuck looked up expecting customers. Instead, his friend Jeno walked in with a smile, a large iced coffee in hand. He got up from his stool behind the counter very quickly and ran up to his friend.

“ _Please_ tell me that this is for me,” Donghyuck said, to which Jeno nodded, handing it to him.

“I think it's the hottest day of the summer so far,” Jeno explained, “I thought you might appreciate a pick-me-up.” Donghyuck faux cried when he took his first sip, to which Jeno chuckled.

“You are my savior,” Donghyuck told Jeno, “I would hug you but I'm disgustingly sweaty.” He settled on an awkward shoulder pat.  Jeno worked as a lifeguard on the beach, and today he had the day off. Donghyuck was very grateful that Jeno had come down near the beach just for him, when he could be relaxing in his air conditioning at home.

“Any stories?” Donghyuck asked Jeno, as he walked back to sit behind the counter, sipping his drink contentedly. Jeno would often tell his friend about all the odd happenings at the beach. It was fairly rare for lifeguards to actually fulfill their job description of saving lives, and even then the older, more experienced lifeguards, took charge. Junior lifeguards like Jeno were often tasked with the less unsavoury tasks. “Yesterday I had to help an old granny get out of a floaty,” Jeno told him, “that was like, the fifth time this week.”

“I'm sure they were all absolutely charmed by you,” Donghyuck teased, raising his eyebrows at his friend. Jeno rolled his eyes.

“Any stories from here?” Jeno continued. Donghyuck took a sip of his beverage before shaking his head.

“You know, same old same old. Though, there was a big group of frat boys who came in and all bought the same shirt. They made a lot of noise.” He explained. It was Jeno’s turn to raise his eyebrows. “College boys, huh? Any of them cute?”

“Shut up, Jeno,” Donghyuck said easily, sharing a look with his friend.

“What shirt was it?” Jeno asked. Donghyuck got up from his seat and led him over to one of the shelves. There was only one or two more of the shifts, since the big group has claimed most of their stock. Donghyuck pointed to it.

**ALL I**

**DO IS**

**FUCK &**

**PARTY**

"Wow, I'm sure they were charmers,” Jeno said after reading the slogan, raising his eyebrows.

“They sure were,” Donghyuck replied, “also, do you work tomorrow?” Jeno hummed a yes, looking over some of the other tacky shirts the store offered.

“Let's hope it's a bit cooler,” Donghyuck said, “and that there aren’t any grannies stuck in their floaties.” Jeno chuckled. “Amen to that,” he said. Donghyuck was about to thank his friend for the much-needed drink once more before he left, when the bell on the door rang again. He looked to the door to see two boys walk in, one very tall and the other a bit shorter than him. Donghyuck ignored them for another moment to look at Jeno again.

“Well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow, yeah,” Donghyuck said. Jeno nodded, then winked at him.

“He's cute,” Jeno said quietly, referring to one of the boys obviously. Donghyuck glared at him. His ranting about desperately wanting a boyfriend _one time_ when they drank together made Jeno insufferable. Every time he saw a boy around the same age as them he always had to say something to Donghyuck about it.

Jeno patted his shoulder, then made his way past the two boys, to the exit. Donghyuck went back to sitting at the stool, waiting until the customers needed help or to check out. He rarely talked to customers unless they approached him.

Donghyuck looked out of the corner of his eyes at the two guys, who made their way around the store casually looking at the various trinkets and shirts. They seemed like brothers, one a few years older than the other. He guessed that the shorter one was probably around his age. Donghyuck _did_ suppose he was kind of cute.

He sipped at his coffee, and realized one of the boys, the shorter one who looked around his age, was approaching the counter.

“Hi,” Donghyuck greeted. The boy was wearing a white tank top, with his sunglasses sitting atop his hair. He noticed that he, naturally, had taken his snapback off and was carrying it in his hand. _Typical jock_ , Donghyuck thought.

“Uhm, can I get a bottle of water,” the boy mumbled awkwardly. Donghyuck nodded and turned to the fridge behind the counter, grabbing a bottle. The boy handed him the money. When Donghyuck gave him back his change the boy thanked him, smiling awkwardly. Donghyuck smiled back. He was kind of cute, even with how much he looked and spoke like a dumb jock.

“Mark, come look at this,” the taller guy called. The boy in front of him -- Mark, turned and walked over. Donghyuck watched him as he saw what his (supposed) brother was looking at, and let out a loud, dumb laugh. It was cute. Donghyuck mentally slapped himself in the face at that thought. He couldn't believe he was thirsting after some college freshman jock boy. He really was desperate. The heat must be getting to him.

The two of them were approaching the counter now, shirts in hand. Donghyuck acted casual, as he always did, when they set the two shirts in front of him. “Hi,” he greeted, “you find what you were looking for?” This was the most animated he had been since starting his shift.

“Yep,” the older replied. He was very tall, and had a nice voice. Donghyuck smiled while the older handed him the money, and he handed back the change. Before he was about to wish the kinda-cute boy farewell forever in his mind, Mark turned around. “What are some, uh, things to do around here?” Mark asked awkwardly. Donghyuck noticed his older brother chuckling behind him.

“Well, other than sitting on the beach?” Donghyuck asked sarcastically. Mark looked a little flustered. His older brother had turned and walked away towards the entrance of the store, looking like he was stifling a laugh. Mark chuckled nervously. “Uh, yeah. Like, places to eat or something. I guess.” Mark paused a lot when he spoke, Donghyuck noticed.

Donghyuck thought for a moment, before telling Mark about a pizza place he visits with his friends, that is not too tourist-infested. Mark nodded, and thanked him again for the shirts and suggestions. Donghyuck told him to have a nice day, which he rarely did. He watched as Mark walked out of the store, and as his older brother clapped him on the back when they walked out. Donghyuck heaved a sigh. That was the last he would probably ever see of him.

* * *

 A bit before the store closed, his boss, Dongyoung, came to visit and check up on the shop. Dongyoung wasn’t the owner of the store, but he was the main store manager that looked after all the staff, and made the schedule. Donghyuck liked him, although he could be a bit neurotic at times.

“Hey, Dongyoung,” Donghyuck called when he saw the older walk into the store. The sun had set by now, and most tourists were headed back to their motels on the strip after watching the sunset on the beach. The store had been empty for a good while.

“Hi, Donghyuck,” Dongyoung greeted as he walked up to the register. “How was it today? I’m sorry you had to work when it was so hot out.” Donghyuck shrugged.

“The heat was pretty bad,” Donghyuck explained, “we should get that fan fixed. Or buy a new one.” Dongyoung chuckled.

“I know, I know,” Dongyoung assured, “I wish I could, but you know the expense needs to be approved by boss.” Donghyuck knew that, and at this point, he was tempted to just buy the fan himself. He nodded at Dongyoung.

“Anything interesting today?” Dongyoung asked him. It was quite custom for workers of the shop to share stories about their day, just like Donghyuck did with Jeno. Every local loved hearing stories about the antics the clueless tourists got into. It was pretty much one of the only thing people talked about around here during the summer. Donghyuck told him the story about the pack of college boys all coming in and buying the same awful shirt for thes second time today. When the clock struck nine o’clock, Dongyoung went and locked the door while Donghyuck counted the cash in the register. Luckily, no customers had come in after Dongyoung had arrived. When they finished up, Donghyuck took his nametag off and got his stuff.

“Good work, today, ‘Hyuck,” Dongyoung said as they walked out together, Dongyoung locking up the store behind him. Donghyuck hummed, then wished Dongyoung goodnight and started off on his way home.

Donghyuck was so thankful when he returned home to his air-conditioned house. He took his sweaty shirt off and lay down on the cool covers, and sighed. He tried not to let his mind wander to the boy today, Mark. He was kind of adorable, in an awkward way. Donghyuck imagined what it would be like to make him blush, before quickly slapping himself in the face. He had met him once, likely would never again, and he was making up stupid fantasies in his head.

The heat was really getting to his head.

* * *

Yerim had texted him the day earlier, asking him to take a part of her shift, to which he agreed. He was only working for four hours today, which wasn’t that bad. He figured he would have time to visit Jeno on the beach, and maybe deliver him a drink to repay him for yesterday. When Donghyuck arrived at the shop, with Yerim sitting at the counter, looking bored. Her face lit up when she saw him.

“Hey, ‘Hyuck,” she greeted. She had her hair up in a nice ponytail. She always managed to look nice, no matter how hot it was, which always amazed Donghyuck. “Thank you so much for taking the other half of my shift, by the way.”

“I owed you one,” Donghyuck said as he got up to the counter. “What are you doing after?”

“Uhm, a date,” she replied kind of sheepishly. Usually, it was frowned upon to ask others to cover shifts when it was something that could be controlled like a date. Donghyuck knew though, that Yerim had been crushing on this one girl for a while. He was happy for her. “I hope you have fun,” he said, “and, when I have a date, you’ll cover for me, right?” He winked at her

“Of course, ‘Hyuckie,” Yerim answered, as she finished gathering her things. “We’ll see when that happens.”

“Well, if _you_ can get a date, then I shouldn’t have any trouble,” Donghyuck teased. Yerim rolled her eyes.

“Bye, ‘Hyuckie, don’t have too much fun now,” she joked, walking out the door. Donghyuck took his place behind the counter, and put his music on. Luckily, it wasn’t as hot as yesterday, at least not yet. He went about his business as usual, being as apathetic as socially acceptable towards the tourists that filed in and out of the small store.

A bit more than halfway into his shift, after two hours of mindless boredom, he looked up when the bell on the door rang to see Mark walk through the door. Donghyuck hated to admit that his heart skipped a bit. He chanced a smile at the boy as he walked up to the counter.

“Hi, again,”  Donghyuck greeted. Mark gave him an awkward smile, before his eyes flitted away again. “I’m here to, uh, return this?” Mark said, in the same awkward and shy voice as yesterday.

“Did it not fit?” Donghyuck asked him. Mark looked up at him again, confused look on his face. Donghyuck repeated his question.

"Oh. Yeah,” Mark answered sheepishly, looking away again. Donghyuck asked for his receipt, which Mark took out of his short pockets and unfolded, with the same nervous awkwardness with which he did everything else. Donghyuck thanked him and handed him his money back.

“Thanks,” he said, quietly. “Uhm, me and my brother went to that pizza place you told us about yesterday.” Donghyuck had guessed right that the older boy with Mark was his brother. “Yeah? Did you like it?” Donghyuck asked enthusiastically. God, he really was cute. Mark nodded again.

"Do you want another recommendation?” He asked Mark, who nodded again. Donghyuck explained to him another place popular with the locals, a Mexican place. “I’m Donghyuck, by the way,” he said after showing Mark where to go on the map on his phone.

“Yeah, it, uhm. Says on your nametag,” Mark explained, “I’m Mark.”

“Yes, your brother said yesterday,” Donghyuck said. He hoped he wasn’t reading this wrong when he classified this as flirting in his head. “Oh,” Mark replied, obviously not knowing what to say. “Uhm, thanks by the way. Donghyuck.”

“No problem, Mark,” Donghyuck said. “Maybe you’ll tell me how that restaurant is, yeah?” Donghyuck watched Mark blushed a little bit.

“Sure,” Mark said, before making his way out the door, tripping on his way out. When he left the building, Donghyuck heaved a big sigh. He was very glad that he covered Yerim’s shift.

* * *

Donghyuck was thankful when the doorbell jingled and his coworker and friend, Jaemin, walked in for his shift. “Hey,” Jaemin called as made his way over to the back. Donghyuck greeted him with a wave, as he started gathering his stuff to head out. He was planning on heading the coffee shop and grabbing Jeno a drink to bring to him on the beach.

“You look happy to leave,” Jaemin said, signature smirk plastered on his face.

“I’m always happy to leave this place,” Donghyuck replied matter-of-factly. “Aren’t we all?”

“Very true,” Jaemin admitted. “Have fun, now, whatever you’re doing.” Donghyuck waved bye as he made his way out of the store.

He arrived on the beach with a tray with two iced coffees, and looked around at the various lifeguard towers to see if he could spot Jeno initially. He made his way amongst scattered beachgoers, tanning on their towels. It was another hot day, although the breeze that came off the ocean was much appreciated. He was happy to have his hair blow around a little bit after sitting in the stagnant shop. Donghyuck really hoped that they would get a new fan soon.

Finally, he spotted the bleach-white hair that Jeno had died his hair for the summer, perfectly coiffed even though Donghyuck knew very well that Jeno never styled it. Jeno really didn’t need to do anything, and he would still look perfect. Jeno’s face burst into a wide smile when he saw his friend approaching, coffee tray in hand. Donghyuck put up a hand to wave.

“Oh, ‘Hyuckie, you didn’t,” Jeno said when Donghyuck got up to him, and handed him his drink. “You saved my life, yesterday, it’s the least I could do,” he explained, shrugging. “Anything fun today?” Jeno made a face.

“I’ll tell you later,” Jeno explained. “I actually have to pay attention to my job, so I can’t talk for long.”

“Hey! I’ll have you know I take my job _very_ seriously,” Donghyuck retorted, giving his friend a gentle hit. “My house, when you’re done?” Jeno nodded in agreement, and they parted ways. 

Donghyuck wondered what Jeno had to tell him while he walked home. He probably saw someone cute at the beach, or something like that. He wouldn’t have left it until later if it was just another old woman stuck in a floatie. Maybe he saved someone’s life, which would be very exciting. Either way, the anticipation was great. And whenever he tried to distract himself, he remembered Mark from the store. He was so cute and nervous, although maybe he was intimidated by Donghyuck’s more loud personality. Either way, Donghyuck hoped he would see the boy again. He had a feeling he would, which made his heart do something funny.

Donghyuck could barely blame it on the heat.

* * *

Donghyuck was lying catatonic on his bed, fan trained directly on him when his doorbell rang. He ran downstairs, opening it to Jeno’s smiling face. He was still in his guard outfit, a mesh tank top and swim trunks. “Hey, ‘Hyuck,” Jeno greeted, stepping inside. “Do you mind if I shower here?”

“Hey now, you kept me waiting for hours with whatever news that you have, don’t make me wait longer,” Donghyuck replied. Jeno chuckled. “C’mon, I’ll be really quick. I don’t want to be in my swimsuit any longer,” Jeno said as they walked up the stairs towards Donghyuck’s room.

“Fine,” Donghyuck sighed, before asking if Jeno wanted snacks. Jeno nodded as he got into the bathroom, and Donghyuck went downstairs to fetch food, before waiting eagerly in his bedroom. After a few minutes, Jeno opened the door to Donghyuck’s room, white hair wet and sticking up everywhere. “Finally,” Donghyuck said, exasperated. “Took you long enough.”

“Enough with the dramatics, okay, I’ll tell you,” Jeno responded before sitting down on the beside Donghyuck, grabbing a handful of chips.

“So, those two guys that came into the shop yesterday, you remember?” Jeno started. Donghyuck most definitely did remember. He nodded. “We had two openings in the lifeguard team.” He paused. “Which aren’t open anymore. Do you catch my drift?” Donghyuck’s eyes widened. After a minute, Jeno continued.

“His name is Johnny, the older guy. Mark is his brother. He explained that they’re staying with family in town for the summer and working on the beach.” Donghyuck was almost beside himself, as if it meant anything that Mark was staying here for the summer. It didn’t mean that he was obligated to participate in his dream summer romance story with him. But he couldn’t help imagining it. “Isn’t that fun, ‘Hyuck? I could see if I could get you Mark’s number. He _was_ cute,” Jeno said, as if reading Donghyuck’s mind.

"Uhm, that actually reminds me,” Donghyuck started casually. “I saw Mark again today.” Donghyuck explained him recommending the boy that pizza place, then him coming back to return the shirt and recommending another restaurant. When he mentioned how he asked if he would see him again, and Mark gave a tentative yes, Jeno was off-the-walls.

“Oh my god, ‘Hyuck, this is like, meant to be,” Jeno said. “He was totally flirting with you.”

“But what if he was just another clueless straight jock,” Donghyuck whined. It was very likely. It had definitely happened before. Donghyuck thinking he was getting signals, making moves, and finding out that the guy was just very friendly.

“As if,” Jeno said. “And even if he was, if anyone could make someone like boys, it’s you, ‘Hyuckie.” Donghyuck blushed at that.

“Oh, Jeno, you flatter me,” Donghyuck said, pleased with himself. He really hoped it was true.

* * *

Both times Mark had come into the store, it had been around the same time. After Jeno left his house, Donghyuck texted Dongyoung asking who was scheduled to work at that time tomorrow. When Dongyoung replied saying it was Jaemin, he sighed. Randomly asking to take over Jaemin’s shift was so unlike him Jaemin would require a full explanation. Heaving a sigh, he dialed Jaemin’s number, who picked up after a few rings. “What do you want,” Jaemin answered, voice flat.

 “Hello to you too, Jaemin,” Donghyuck said, before asking what he wanted to know. “Can I have your shift tomorrow?” There was silence over the line for a moment.

 “Who are you and what have you done with the Lee Donghyuck I know and love?” Donghyuck rolled his eyes, well aware of the fact Jaemin couldn’t see. “But yes, you can. You owe me a very good explanation though, later.”

 “Thanks, Jaemin, have a good night,” Donghyuck responded. He breathed a sigh of relief. Before he hung up, Jaemin said one last thing.“A _very_ good and interesting reason, Lee Donghyuck.”

Donghyuck was not sure if wanting to see a guy he had seen twice for minutes at a time was a very good reason, but it was surely one Jaemin would find very interesting.

* * *

 

 Donghyuck made the good decision that day of getting an iced coffee in advance of his shift.

 “Hey, Donghyuck,” called a voice when he entered the shop. Most of the employees of all the stores on that block knew each other at least by name. Partly because they saw each other a lot coming to and from work, and partly because most of them were all high school students at their summer job. There was only one high school in their little town, so everyone knew each other.

 “Hi, Renjun,” Donghyuck greeted when he got up to the counter. “Medium iced coffee, please.” The boy across from him smiled and nodded, and took his money. Renjun was the same age as him, and although he wasn’t in the same class as him, they were fairly close. He was friends with Jeno, too, as well as Jaemin. 

 “I forgot to mention, I love the hair,” Renjun told him as he handed Donghyuck his drink. Donghyuck had dyed his hair the colour of bright red Kool-Aid for the summer. He was quite happy with it, given how hard of a colour it was to pull off.

 “Thank you,” Donghyuck replied. “For the drink. And the compliment.” Donghyuck wished him a good day and made his way across the street to the shop. Dongyoung was manning the store, as he often did in the morning before the other employees came in for longer shifts. Dongyoung looked up and saw him come in the door, before going back to reading whatever he was looking at, giving him a weak wave.

 “Good morning to you, too,” Donghyuck said as he placed his drink on the counter. “What’s got you in a mood this morning?”

 “I’m not in a mood,” Dongyoung retorted. He was definitely in a mood. He shut his book, before turning to Donghyuck in confusion. “Isn’t Jaemin supposed to be working?”

 “Uhm, he asked me to take his shift,” Donghyuck offered. Dongyoung narrowed his eyes a little in suspicion, but didn't say anything

 “Okay,” Dongyoung said after a moment. “Enjoy your shift.” He made his way to the exit and out the door. Now, it was time for Donghyuck to wait.

 Shifts passed a lot slower when you were waiting for something specific, Donghyuck learned. He looked at the clock and counted the minutes until the time when Mark had appeared in the store yesterday. He asked himself if it was pathetic, waiting for a boy like this. Donghyuck prayed that Mark would come in, and he had not taken Jaemin’s shift for nothing.

 Even more pathetically, he had done extra makeup that morning. Not-too-heavy eyeliner with some eyeshadow. He’s not sure why he did it, since even if Mark wasn’t straight, he was still certainly a dumb jock type who would not appreciate the fine art of a smokey eye.

 The time when Mark appeared yesterday was approaching, and Donghyuck was getting a little giddy. When no one was in the store, he got up and looked at his reflection in the display cases to make sure his hair was not all over the place, and his makeup hadn’t smudged too much. And, luckily for him, Mark did finally show up. Donghyuck fake read the newspaper as the boy walked up, attempting to look casual.

 “Uhm, hi. Again,” Mark started when got to the back of the store. Donghyuck looked up from his newspaper, a word of which had not been read, and flashed him a smile.

 “Hi, Mark, what’s up,” Donghyuck greeted. His heart was pounding a little bit. He watched on as Mark blushed a little, just from his greeting. Donghyuck was pleased with himself.

 “Just wanted to say that, Johnny and I really enjoyed that Mexican place yesterday,” Mark said. That was probably the longest sentence Mark had said to Donghyuck thus far in any of their interactions. “Thank you.”

 “Oh, no problem,” Donghyuck replied. “So, are you a tourist here, or…?” He asked, trailing off, as if he didn’t already know. “Uhm, well, actually, Johnny and I are here for the whole summer,” Mark explained. “Him and I are both lifeguards.” Donghyuck feigned surprise, although it was nice to hear the words from the boy himself.

 “That’s awesome,” Donghyuck said. “Hey, my friend is a lifeguard too. Jeno. Bleached hair, probably your height.” Mark nodded. “Yeah, uhm, I think I saw him yesterday on the beach,” Mark said. He laughed a little awkwardly. Donghyuck smiled at him. He couldn’t tell if Mark was blushing, or if it was the heat. He hoped he was blushing.

 “So, is there any other reason you came?” Donghyuck asked. “To see me?” He dared to add. If Mark did happen to be a straight jock, why not have some fun by making him embarrassed. If it had been the heat before, Mark was definitely blushing now. Donghyuck hid a smug expression. “Uhm,” Mark trailed off awkwardly. He seemed lost for words, and embarrassed.

 “I get off at three,” Donghyuck offered, taking a chance. Mark looked up to him, eyes wide in confusion.

 “I finish here at three," Donghyuck repeated himself. "If you want to meet me. I’ll show you around some more."

“Oh, uhm, yes,” Mark mumbled.  “I’ll, uh, meet you here?” Donghyuck nodded, happily. Mark awkwardly stood around for another second before turning around.

 “See you later, Mark,” Donghyuck called after him. When the other boy exited the store, he could barely contain himself. Maybe this could work after all. By the time the clock neared three o’clock, Donghyuck had packed his stuff up to get ready to go, when Yerim walked in for her shift. He heaved a thankful sigh, standing up to go before Yerim was even near the back counter.

 “Someone’s eager,” she said, sly smile on her face. “There was a boy standing outside, I take that he might have something to do with why you’re so excited to leave?” Donghyuck cursed Yerim for being so perceptive. He rolled his eyes.

 “I’ll take that as a yes,” she said, taking her spot behind the counter. “Have fun, and tell me what it goes!” She winked. Donghyuck threw up his middle finger at her as he walked out of the store. He was starting to owe a few too many people explanations.

As Yerim had said, Mark was standing outside, beside the store. He was looking at his phone, thankfully, so Donghyuck could gather himself before walking up to him. “Hey, Mark,” he greeted. The other boy quickly stuffed his phone into his pockets.

 “Uhm, Hi,” Mark responded, in his small, shy voice. Donghyuck hoped that Mark would be able to get more comfortable with him, but he anticipated their outing ( _not_ a date) to be very awkward at first. He was okay with that. Mark was cute enough. Donghyuck gestured and they started walking. He started talking first.

 “So, where are you from originally?” Donghyuck asked. Mark explained that he lived in the city, but that he had family out by the ocean. Him and his brother, Johnny, were both qualified lifeguards, so they easily got the well-paying job. Donghyuck nodded along.

 “I’ve never lived in a big city,” Donghyuck said.

 “It’s okay, I guess,” Mark replied. “It’s, uhm, nice. To be by the ocean. And the people here are nice.” Mark was looking down, kind of embarrassed.

 “Oh, are they now?” Donghyuck jokes. “Have you seen the pier, yet?” He asked when they walked near it. They were kind of just walking, aimlessly. Donghyuck didn’t mind. Mark seemed content.

 “Oh, I haven’t,” Mark said. Donghyuck gestured with a tilt of his head and they started down the pier. Donghyuck didn’t miss Mark’s look of wonder and amazement whenever he saw something crazy. Like much of what Mark did, it was cute. And again, Donghyuck cursed himself internally for already being so head-over-heels. He couldn’t blame this on the heat.

 They walked past all the games, towards the end where there was a nice view. Donghyuck regaled Mark with stories about how much money he had wasted on the dumb carnival games during his time in the town, yet had only won a handful of times. When they got to the very end of the pier, over the ocean, they stood silently by the railing for a few minutes. Donghyuck heard a few quite _wow_ ’s leaving Mark’s mouth.

 “Did you have fun, Mark?” Donghyuck asked, turning to the other boy. They hadn’t done much, which was why he was asking. He hoped he had left a good impression on Mark. Mark turned to him and nodded.

 “Yes, it was really great,” Mark said. “Thank you, Donghyuck.” He paused for a second. “Uhm. Can I, uhm. Have your number?” He asked very timidly. Donghyuck chuckled. He was also overwhelmed. He was pleased he hadn’t read it all wrong, and maybe Mark was interested in him.

 “For sure,” Donghyuck said, smiling. He put his number into Mark’s phone, and added a kissy face to his name.

 “I had fun, too, Mark,” Donghyuck said when they parted ways at the end of the pier. When Mark awkwardly finished his goodbye and walked away, Donghyuck could have screamed. He was very pleased with himself. It was certainly worth the questioning from Jaemin later about why he asked to cover his shift.

 When he got home, he checked his phone to see a text message from an unknown number.

  _It’s mark, thank you for today I had a lot of fun :)_

 Donghyuck sighed and clutched his phone to his chest.

* * *

He had the next day off, which he was happy about after working three days in a row. No amount of visits from cute boys would change the fact that he hated his job. Yesterday’s shift was an exception, which he was very glad he made. After lying in bed for a few hours, Jaemin called him to say he was coming over. Immediately after, he got a text from Jeno, too.

  _a little birdy told me something very interesting_. Donghyuck sighed and texted him back that he should come over too, that Jaemin would be there too. Jaemin had probably told Jeno about Donghyuck taking his shift, and Jeno was likely to have put two and two together. Within a half hour, his two friends were sitting on his bed. Donghyuck explained to them everything that happened with Mark. Both of them were ecstatic.

 “Aw, ‘Hyuckie, I hope you finally get that boyfriend you begged for all those months ago,” Jeno teased. Donghyuck rolled his eyes.

 “I hope I do too,” he said. “He really is so cute, you guys. And I made him blush so many times.”

 Jaemin, in the end, was quite happy with the explanation that Donghyuck gave him for covering his shift. Later that afternoon, after his two friends left, he decided to text Mark.

  _Hey, will you be by the beach tomorrow? I work from 10 until 3 :)_

 After a few minutes later, he got his response. _Yes how about I meet you at three again???_ Donghyuck smiled, and texted back saying that would work great. He was excited. He also hated that right after that, he tried on a whole assortment of outfits to wear. Donghyuck really hoped that he was not reading all of this too wrong. Maybe Mark just wanted to make a friend in this new town.

* * *

The next day, Donghyuck sat eagerly awaiting the end of his shift when Jaemin walked in, smile wide on his face. He knew something. “Is that him, outside?” Jaemin asked as he got up to the counter. Donghyuck probably blushed.

 “Most likely, yeah,” he responded. “Unless there’s another guy our age that decided to loiter beside our shitty store.”

 “He’s cute,” Jaemin said. Donghyuck narrowed his eyes at his friend. “Don’t you dare.” Jaemin put his hands up in false defense.

 “Nah, he’s all yours, ‘Hyuck,” Jaemin laughed. Donghyuck changed out of his uniform, into the nice, but still casual, outfit he had carefully picked last night. He didn’t want to look like he was trying _too_ hard, but didn’t want to look bad either.

 “Have fun, you two!” Jaemin called as Donghyuck walked out the door. When he spotted Mark down the sidewalk a little bit, he called out and waved to him. Mark saw him immediately, and his face lit up into a smile.

 “This is for you,” Mark said, handing him an iced coffee that Donghyuck hadn’t noticed. Donghyuck’s eyes opened in surprise initially. It was from the place across the way too.

 “I, wow. Thank you Mark,” he offered. “I really needed this.” He took his first sip and took a breath. “I figured. It’s hot out,” Mark shrugged. They started walking side-by-side.

 “So, how’s being a lifeguard on the _magnificent_ beach?” Donghyuck started. Mark chuckled. Donghyuck had yet to make Mark laugh how Johnny had made him laugh in the store on that first day. He hoped he would soon. “Oh, it’s magnificent for sure,” Mark replied. “Well, I helped an old woman out of her floatie today. That was fun.” Donghyuck laughed.

 “Get used to that,” Donghyuck said. “Jeno has done it like, six times this week.” Mark looked at him with wide eyes. “I’m serious.” Mark sighed. They continued chatting a little bit as they walked. It was nice. Donghyuck decided to take him a park that was away from the beach and the mobs of tourists. “Have you met anyone else in town, yet?” Donghyuck asked as they sat down on one of the park benches, after buying a popsicle at the stand in the park. Mark sat down close to him, closer than he needed to be.

 “Aha, not really,” Mark admitted. “I talked to Jeno though, the friend you mentioned.”

 “He’s nice, isn’t he?” Donghyuck asked. Mark nodded as he licked his popsicle. “I can introduce you to some of my other friends, if you’d like,” Donghyuck offered. Mark spluttered a little bit.

 “Oh, no, uhm. You don’t have to do that,” Mark said. Donghyuck waved his hand. They’re all really nice, I swear,” Donghyuck assured. Mark hummed. Earlier, he had complimented Donghyuck on his outfit, which made him extremely happy. His work had paid off. This time, Mark had dressed in a short-sleeve button up rather than a tank top. Donghyuck couldn’t help but find it cute.

 Donghyuck noticed Mark staring at something on his face. “Uhm, you have.” Mark started before reaching out and wiping away something on Donghyuck’s chin. “Sorry. Popsicle, uhm, yeah.” Mark said, turning away embarrassed.

“Oh, thanks,” Donghyuck said, slowly. He was still surprised Mark did that.  
  
They parted ways later when Donghyuck had walked with Mark back to where he was staying with family, which wasn’t all that far from where Donghyuck’s house was. He had walked Mark up to his front door, which maybe, in hindsight, was a little too forward. Or something like that.

 “Thanks again, Donghyuck,” Mark said at the door. “I had a lot of fun today.” Donghyuck smiled and told him it was no problem. In fact, Donghyuck smiled nearly all the way home. He barely even noticed the heat. When he got home, he had gotten a text from Jaemin.

  _Party at mine on fri r u down? u can bring ur mans xoxo_

Donghyuck cursed Jaemin internally for referring to Mark as that, but he knew there was no avoiding it. Jaemin was the king of teasing, especially when it came to Donghyuck’s love life. He sent back a quick _sure_ , then texted Mark about it.

  _Hey mark, my friend jaemin is having a party on friday, did you want to come?_

  _Jeno will be there :) and a few others that i know not too many dw_

 He hoped he made a convincing argument, and it turned out he did. He received a text a few moments later.

  _For sure sounds fun!!_

 Things just kept looking up for Donghyuck.

* * *

 “Dongyoung,” Donghyuck greeted when he walked into the store the next morning. “How do you know if someone likes boys.”

 “A simple ‘hello,’ would have sufficed, don’t you think,” Dongyoung snapped back from his place behind the back counter. “Good morning to you too, Donghyuck.” Dongyoung was one of the few people he knew well who always used his full name when referring to him.

 “Hello, Dongyoung, how do you know someone likes boys?” Donghyuck said. “How does that work?” Dongyoung rolled his eyes.

 “If I knew, I would tell you,” he replied as he stood up. “Ugh, you’re no help,” Donghyuck sighed dramatically, putting his face in his hands when he got on his seat. Dongyoung shrugged.

 “Well, best of luck to you, anyways,” Dongyoung said. “You’re a charmer, Lee. You could make the straightest man question themselves.”

 “Funny,” Donghyuck replied. “You’re the second person to have said that to me. Maybe it just might be true.” Dongyoung laughed, and headed out the store. Donghyuck still didn’t have an answer to his question, though he had an idea. It had been dead in the store for a few minutes now, and he supposed he could risk making a phone call.

 “Hi Jeno,” he said, when his friend picked up. Jeno greeted him back. Luckily, he was on his lunch break from the beach. "Can you figure out if Mark likes boys?” Donghyuck asked. He probably sounded crazy. He heard Jeno laugh through the phone speaker.

 “I’m pretty sure he likes you, but yes, I will try and find out,” Jeno replied. Donghyuck sighed in relief.

 “Thank you, Jeno. You know I can always count on you,” Donghyuck said.

 “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Stop sucking up, and go do your job,” Jeno hung up after that. Donghyuck really hoped Jeno would have a good answer for him after his shift. All he had to do was wait.

 He decided to make his way to the corner store near his house. Luckily, the heat wasn’t as unbearable as it had been the past few days, but still fairly hot. When he was checking out with his ice cream bar, he saw a familiar face enter the store. Johnny, Mark’s brother. He seemed to recognize Donghyuck too, since he walked up to him.

 “Hey, Donghyuck, right? From that store?” He asked. Donghyuck nodded quickly, then picked up his bar from the counter. Johnny was very tall, now that he was standing right in front of him.

 “Mark’s told me a lot about you,” Johnny said. Donghyuck smiled. That was reassuring. “He was nervous about making friends here.”

 “I hope you and Mark are enjoying the job,” Donghyuck replied. “On the beach.” He added. Johnny chuckled heartily. “Oh yeah, it’s quite exciting,” he said. Donghyuck joked about there being at least one person who needs help getting out of a floatie a day, which Johnny had another good laugh at.

 “I’ll let you get back now, Donghyuck,” Johnny said. “Again, thank you for hanging out with Mark. He’s shy now, but he’ll open up soon.” That was good to know. Donghyuck waved bye and made his way back home, enjoying his refreshing bar.

 After getting back home, he didn’t have to wait long for Jeno to text him saying he was coming over. Once again, Donghyuck was giddy. He sprung up embarrassingly fast when he heard the knocking on his door.

 “Well?” Donghyuck said expectantly when he saw Jeno standing in front of his door. “And you’re not showering before you can tell me.” Jeno laughed.

 “How rude of you, ‘Hyuck, I expected better,” Jeno said, as Donghyuck stepped aside to let him in. “But, the answer is ‘probably.’” Donghyuck froze when Jeno walked past him, who turned around to observe his expression. Which, obviously, was of glee.

 “I’ll explain upstairs,” Jeno said, and Donghyuck practically ran up the stairs ahead of him. When the two of them were seated on Donghyuck’s bed, Jeno started. “It was pretty simple, actually.” Donghyuck looked at him, intent.

 “I asked Johnny,” he said. Donghyuck’s eyes widened. Before he react, Jeno continued. “Originally asked Johnny if Mark had had a girlfriend or boyfriend in the past. He caught on pretty quick, and said that Mark hadn’t dated a guy before, but had expressed interest in them.” Donghyuck was overjoyed, and got off the bed to jump around in happiness, to his friend’s amusement.

 “Thank you, Jeno,” Donghyuck said, kneeling down and taking Jeno’s hand, planting a kiss on it. “I can always count on you.”

 “Yeah, yeah,” Jeno said, rolling his eyes at Donghyuck’s dramatic display. “I know I’m the best.”

 “Okay, now it’s time for you to help me choose my outfit for the party on Friday night,” Donghyuck announced, springing up from kneeling position. Jeno sighed.

* * *

The next day, Donghyuck left for work early. He planned to visit the beach before work, knowing that Mark was doing the first shift at the beach. They had texted the night before, but Mark had to leave when it started to get late, since he worked early that morning. Donghyuck decided to swing by the coffee place before, to pick up an iced coffee for himself as well as Mark.

 Renjun raised his eyebrow at him when Donghyuck ordered two things. He probably knew that Jeno wasn’t working at this time. It was likely he was also aware of Donghyuck’s current interest, from Jeno. Renjun didn’t say anything more as he ran him through, and Donghyuck didn’t give a reaction. The boy did smile slyly at him when he handed him his two drinks in the tray. “Enjoy,” he said.

 “I will,” Donghyuck replied, then made his way out of the store, towards the beach. He hoped Mark liked iced coffee. But, he would probably recognize the gesture anyways.

 The beach was fairly empty at this time, but it was starting to fill up as the sun rose higher in the sky. He looked out on the hazy horizon, the sun reflecting off the water nicely. Even after having lived here forever, he still never got tired of the ocean. Donghyuck paused for a moment and closed to eyes to inhale, smelling the salt in the air. Moving on, he easily spotted Mark near the main lifeguard tower. Approaching, he saw when Mark spotted him, a look of surprise on his face.

 “Hi, Donghyuck, I didn’t expect you,” he said when Donghyuck got up to him.

 “You talked about being tired last night, so I thought I would bring something to help,” he explained, looking down at the iced coffees. Mark’s eyes widened in surprise.

 “For me?” He asked, excited. Donghyuck nodded. “Thank you.” Mark said, taking his coffee and sipping, letting out a dramatic “ _ah_ ” after. Donghyuck smiled at him. “Uhm, did you want to take a walk on the beach? Unless you have to get to work.” Mark asked him, to his surprise. He checked his watch, which said he still had a half hour before he had to go and relieve Dongyoung.

 “Sure,” he replied. “Don’t you have to like. Work, though?”

 “It’s okay, I can take a five minute break. There’s not too many people here, anyways.” Mark said. So they set off down the beach, sipping their drinks. On the way, Donghyuck questioned him on his favourite colour, whether he was a cat or dog person, and other similar questions, after realizing he had no idea. He found out that Mark’s favourite colour was blue, and that he liked dogs.

 “An intellectual,” Donghyuck had said when he heard Mark liked dogs, which Mark laughed at.

 He also found out that Mark enjoyed writing, and wanted to write a book at some point. He also liked writing his own music, which surprised Donghyuck. When he asked if he could hear any of it at some point, Mark laughed and gave a nervous yes.

 When they returned to the main lifeguard tower, Mark thanked him again for the iced coffee. Donghyuck said it was no problem, and waved goodbye to the other boy. He was glad he went down to the beach this morning, and spent the money on the coffee. He and Mark were getting along quite nicely, and he considered that maybe his affections were shared. Mark had opened up a fair amount in the short time they had known each other, and he hoped they would continue getting closer and closer.

* * *

Donghyuck had texted Mark and offered to pick him up and walk with him to Jaemin’s, since he was on the way there. Also, there was the fact that he didn’t want Mark arriving before him and being subjected to questioning by his friends.

 Before leaving, he had spent nearly an hour in the bathroom trying to get his makeup _perfect_ . Donghyuck had decided on gold and red shimmer around his eyes, with some eyeliner. He made sure to put on generous amounts of lip gloss, and slipped the tube in his pocket too, just in case. He tried not to think about what the _just in case_ was, saving himself from blushing.

 He texted Mark that he would be there soon, then headed out the door. He found himself walking with a spring in his step. Luckily, the sun was low on horizon in the evening, so it was pleasantly warm out. After a short, enjoyable walk, he made it to Mark’s house.

 A few moments after he knocked on the door, it opened to reveal Johnny, Mark’s brother. Donghyuck’s mind immediately went to the fact that Jeno had practically outright asked if he was interested in boys. It was the natural conclusion to think that Johnny knew. And it looked like he did, given the sly smile he had on his phone when he saw Donghyuck standing outside.

 “Hi, Donghyuck,” he greeted. “Mark’ll be out in a second.” Johnny winked at him. Donghyuck looked away. He was probably blushing. Johnny sensed the tension and walked away from the door, to leave Donghyuck waiting for Mark. He was blankly staring at the ground when he heard footsteps from in the house, and looked up to see the boy he was waiting for.

 “Hey,” Mark said. Donghyuck looked him up and down, probably not very subtly. He looked nice. Mark got his shoes on and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “Shall we?” Donghyuck said, looking at Mark, who nodded back, and they set off down the street.

 It was about a five minute walk to Jaemin’s house. To his surprise, Mark spoke first. “So, who’s going to be there? Uh, besides Jeno.”

 Donghyuck told him about Jaemin and Renjun, as well as some of his other friends from school that would likely be there. “Don’t be nervous,” he consoled. “Everyone is really nice, and they’ll love having a new face.” Mark smiled at him, but Donghyuck could tell he was still nervous.

 They reached Jaemin’s door, and walked in. Donghyuck had been to Jaemin’s house enough times that he didn’t need to knock. There was music playing already. After they had removed their shoes, Jaemin popped out from behind a corner. “‘Hyuckie!”

 “This must be Mark,” Jaemin said when he reached the two of them. “‘Hyuck has told me a lot about you.” Donghyuck knew that this would happen. He gave Jaemin a hit, before formally introducing them. “Mark, this is Jaemin. Don’t listen to anything he says.” Mark nodded to the other boy, without saying a word. Jaemin smiled at him, then retreated back into the house, where the music was coming from. Donghyuck followed him, Mark trailing behind.

 They came into a room with a bunch of Donghyuck’s same-age classmates. He easily spotted Renjun and Jeno, who were hanging out in a corner together. He walked over to them. “Hey, guys,” he greeted.

 “Hey, ‘Hyuck,” Jeno said when he looked up. “Mark,” He nodded, looking at the other boy. Mark smiled back. Donghyuck was glad that Mark had someone else he was familiar with at the party other than just him.

 “Renjun, this is Mark. Mark, Renjun.” Donghyuck introduced them, gesturing with his hands in between them. In classic Mark fashion, he simply waved shyly to the new face. Donghyuck decided to not intimidate Mark even more by introducing him to some other people, so the two of them sat down with Renjun and Jeno, joining their conversation.

 Eventually, Mark settled into talking with Jeno. Luckily, their shared workplace gave them something easy to talk about. When he heard Mark laugh in his conversation, Donghyuck decided he was comfortable enough to leave him alone for a moment to fetch drinks for them. He walked over to the kitchen, where there was an assortment of drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. He picked up two coolers and was about to make his way back to the others, when Jaemin stopped him.

 “Are you going to make a move tonight?” Jaemin asked. Donghyuck glared at him. “What?” Jaemin said, exasperated. “It’s a good opportunity.” It was, but Donghyuck kind of just wanted to spend a bit more time with the boy before he tried anything. They were still getting to know each other, after all.

 “We’ll see,” Donghyuck replied simply and made his way past his friend, back to the others. He dropped down beside Mark, and handed him the drink he got. “It’s okay if you don’t want it, there are some other things,” he told him. Mark shook his head.

“This is good, thank you,” he said. He and Donghyuck both opened their drinks. Renjun wasn’t a big drinker, so he had a cup of juice while Jeno was on his second beer. Jeno didn’t really change much when he was drunk or tipsy, Donghyuck had learned. He laughed a little bit more, and got tired very easily.

 Once he was feeling a suitable amount of tipsy, he managed to get the also tipsy Mark to dance with him. Jeno laughed from the corner at their funny dances moves. Donghyuck felt happy then, living in the moment, the influence of the alcohol barring the little embarrassment he would have had. Mark looked like he was having a fun time too.

 After he tired himself out, Donghyuck led him and Mark to Jaemin’s back deck, where they could cool off a little bit. They were two drinks in by point, and the effect was apparent. They sat down together on the cushioned bench outside. Donghyuck was all too aware of Mark’s proximity to him. He wasn’t used to it, since Mark didn’t seem very touchy, but he was definitely not complaining.

They sat in silence for a while, before Mark finally spoke. “I like it here,” he said.

“The town? Or out here?” Donghyuck asked. Mark giggled. Donghyuck started giggling too. Alcohol really made everything funny.

 “Both,” Mark replied. “Both,” he repeated himself, when he turned his head to look at Donghyuck. In the harsh light cast on them by the porch light, Donghyuck could still see the red tint of his face. The upside of the asian glow was that it was easier to mask blushing, which is probably what Donghyuck was doing right now.

 “Mh-hm?” Donghyuck hummed lazily after a moment. “What’s your favourite part?” He knew what he was doing, and he really hoped Mark’s answer would be what he thought it could be. The alcohol in his veins really did make him brave, even more than he was usually.

 “Hm,” Mark paused. He looked away in embarrassment. “You.” Exactly the answer Donghyuck wanted. Even through the drunken fog in his brain, he was overjoyed. He did everything he could not to jump up like a gleeful little girl. Instead, he channeled that energy into bravery. Mark had turned to look at him again, and Donghyuck was just about to move forward, it seemed like the other boy was intent on it as well, when the door opened.

 “Oh _—_ shit, sorry,” it was someone Donghyuck knew from school, but who quickly retreated inside when he saw the two of them on the couch. But, the moment had already been ruined. Mark was the first to speak again, when Donghyuck was still looking away. “Seriously though, uhm, thank you for being so nice. I thought I wasn’t going to have any friends here.”

 Donghyuck turned to the other boy, who yawned then. He noticed he felt tired too. “Thank _you_ for coming to this town.” Mark looked away, seemingly embarrassed. After a few more minutes in silence, they made their way back inside. Jaemin wiggled his eyes at them when he saw them walk in together, both very red from the alcohol and blush. Thankfully, Mark didn’t notice, and Donghyuck didn’t give his friend the satisfaction of sending back a glare.

 By this point, a fair amount of people had gone home. Renjun and Jeno were still there, Jeno lying down on the couch, his head in the other’s lap. Donghyuck went to the kitchen and downed a glass of water, and gave one to Mark too. “Want me to take you home?” Donghyuck asked after Mark had finished his water. The other boy nodded, and yawned again. He got them both up, and after getting their shoes on, made their way out the door.

 “Text me when you get home, yeah?” Jaemin called to him, to which Donghyuck nodded so he could see. Mark had gotten very tired, and was leaning against him on the walk home. Again, the contact was unexpected but not unappreciated. It was a quiet walk, and it was still pleasantly warm out in the summer night.

 Donghyuck walked Mark up to his front door, where he turned around to him. “Thank you, for tonight.” He started. “I had a lot of fun.” He paused. “Uhm.” Donghyuck didn’t expect it when Mark leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek. He stood slightly shocked, as Mark wished him goodnight and made his way inside. He continued to stand for a minute more before composing himself and making his way back to his house. As with his walk on the way there, during the whole walk back, he had a smile on his face.

* * *

The next few days went by easily. Donghyuck and Mark met up several times, and while not outright mentioning was happened at the party, were noticeable more touchy. For the next week, everytime Mark worked an early shift, Donghyuck brought him an iced coffee and they went for a walk down the beach. During their most recent outing, he had been surprised once again when Mark grabbed and held his hand for a good portion of the walk.

 Donghyuck continued his work at S.M. Beachwares, but he was glad he had something to look forward to after every shift. He still hung out with Jeno as well, who enjoyed telling him about how after he left after their walk in the morning, Mark would have a smile on his face for a good half hour after.

One day, when Mark had met him after his shift, he turned to Donghyuck while they were walking. “Uhm, are these dates?” He asked quietly.

 “If you want them to be,” Donghyuck responded simply. Mark nodded. “I do.” Donghyuck looked away and grabbed Mark’s hand in his, and they continued walking together. They got to Mark’s house, and stood on the porch for a moment. Donghyuck was planning to go home after dropping Mark off.

 “Uhm,” Mark hummed quietly, looking away embarrassed. Donghyuck was confused, before Mark moved forward and pressed his lips on Donghyuck’s. When the other boy moved away, he scanned Donghyuck’s face for a reaction. “Uh, sorry.” He said, quickly.

 “No, no,” Donghyuck assured quickly. “It’s more than okay.” They looked at each other for a moment.

 “Do you want to, uhm. Come inside?” Mark asked, stuttering. Donghyuck paused in faux thought for a moment, before nodding enthusiastically, and making his way inside. 

If Johnny looked at them weirdly when they made their way upstairs towards Mark's room, they didn't notice. 

* * *

 “Mark, thank you so much,” Jeno said, a few weeks later, when they were all sitting at the table on the porch of Donghyuck’s backyard. Mark looked at him confusedly. “What for?”

 “For making it so that I didn’t have to hear ‘Hyuckie complain about not having a boyfriend all the time,” Jeno explained.

 “Hey!” Donghyuck complained, before turning to Mark. “But thank you for coming along Mark. I really do enjoy having a boyfriend, especially when it's you.” Mark blushed at that. Even aside from just the simple fact that he now had a  _boyfriend_ , which he could barely wrap his mind around, he really, truly did like Mark and enjoy his company. Now that they were closer, Donghyuck was free to tease him much like he did his other friends. Donghyuck really hoped that Mark was just as happy as he was. 

Donghyuck felt Mark grab his hand under the table, and smiled to himself. 

**Author's Note:**

> This wasn't very good I know but it was also first time writing in a long while. I also know it wasn't completely markhyuck focused, but I also love writing interactions between Donghyuck and the other members. Either way, I hope you enjoyed. 
> 
> I love kudos/comments/bookmarks!!!! ♡
> 
> And one last thing. Shirt is from [here](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DX4xm6VWAAADXrG.jpg).


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